Football Blue Blood vs the Upstart
Eighteen-time National Champion vs one-time split National Champion
David vs Goliath
Good vs Evil?
American sports fans love a good underdog story. Watching the New England Patriots win yet another Super Bowl is fun, but seeing them fall to the New York Giants was epic. Mike Tyson was everyone’s favorite boxer, but Buster Douglas became a legend after beating him in 1990. Underdog stories are the best kind of stories.
The Michigan Wolverines will meet the Washington Huskies in the college football National Championship game on Jan. 8. Both teams are 14-0 coming into the game, and both have had tremendous seasons. However, the game is a tale of big, bad Michigan taking on a Washington team that few expected to be in this position. So the underdog story is built in. However, it feels like even more than that this year.
By now, every college football fan is aware of the sign-stealing scandal involving the Michigan football team. Staff member Connor Stalions was accused of leading a sign-stealing operation that may go back quite a while. This effort included recording other teams’ sideline signals with cell phones, which is banned by the NCAA. There are also rules in place that forbid sending people to scout opponents in person ahead of games, which Michigan also allegedly did.
As the story broke, and then became mainstream, the Wolverines quickly became the villains in the college football universe. Despite their claims that other teams did it first. Eventually, head coach Jim Harbaugh accepted a three-game suspension over the incident. Michigan moved on with its season, which, of course, led to the Playoff and a trip to the National Championship game appearance, much to the chagrin of a large number of college football fans.
Many fans see Michigan as “cheaters” who don’t deserve a championship, and many are convinced that the NCAA will eventually wipe away their title if they win.
Washington, on the other hand, has loads of goodwill. They’re led by a very likable quarterback in Michael Penix, who leads one of the top ten offenses in the nation. The offense also features a terrific receiver unit, including Rome Odunze, who will likely be a top-15 draft pick soon. They’re a fun team to watch, while Michigan features an offense built around the running game with Blake Corum and defense.
Jan. 8 will be a contrast of styles, and, in the eyes of many, a battle of good vs evil. That is certainly an exaggeration of the highest magnitude, but realistically, it’s how many fans will view it. Michigan appears to be the favorite to win according to the betting lines. Washington, though, will be the favorite in the hearts of most. To those fans, the Huskies are the good guys after all.